Plate and dish cover.



F. STAINES. PLATE AND DISH COVER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1907.

902,340. Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. STAINES.

PLATE AND DISH covnn.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1907.

902,340. Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ITED STATES PATENT @FFMEE.

FRANK STAINES, OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN CLARK BOWDEN, OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.

PLATE AND DISH COVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Oct. 27, 1908 Application filed June 14, 1907. Serial No. 379,052.

come accidentally displaced and thus expose the substances required to be protected. I

Moreover, they are usually made convex on top with a knob or handle .and thus prevent one plate or dish being placed above another for convenience of transport, handling and stacking when not in use. It is mainly with the object of overcoming these defects that I have devised this invention. It will be understood, of course, that covers constructed in accordance with the present invention are applicable to both plates and dishes.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings whereof,

Figure 1 is a plan of the cover; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a stack of covered plates; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through two covers nested together; Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the cover showing a slight modification to facilitate cleaning; Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing the cover adapted to fit both large and small plates; Fig. 6 is a vertical section showing the ap lication of two of said covers to keep food ot for a lengthy period; Fig. 7 is a vertical sec tion of a cover formed with a flared rim.

According to this invention the body 1 of the cover is substantially concavo convex, being flared outwardly towards the bottom and is rovided around its lower edge 2 with a plura 'ty of downwardly extending lugs or legs arranged to project over the edge of the late. These lugs or legs are preferably ormed so as-to extend laterally as at 3 and then bent downwardly at their ends or formed with one or more downwardly ex tending hooks 4 which are adapted to fit over the edge 5 of the plate 6 and thereby avoid accidental lateral displacement. The

most convenient number of legs or lugs is three. When said covers are required to fit diflerent sized plates said lugs are rovided with a corresponding number of hoo s 4, 4 as shown in Fig. 5. The top 7 of the cover is made approximately flat and around its upper edge is provided an upwardly extending portion or annular rim 8 upon which the convex bottom 9 of the plate 6 is seated. By this construction the plate when placed on the rim will readily find its own level and remain steady while, furthermore, the top of the cover cannot possibly be scratched or disfigured as the only point of contact with the late is its rim. In this manner a series of p ates and covers may be stacked one above the other with safety thus facilitating their transport from one lace to another. Furthermore, the annular rim 8 acts as a handle by which the cover may be lifted from the plate, and the flat top inside said rim may be used to .carry cups, teapots or such like, as shown in Fi 5.

It will be noted that the lugs project below the bottom edge of the cover so that when it is removed from a plate and placed on a table or tray said cover is clear of the table thus preventing the possibility of the cover communicating food stuffs thereto, or vice versa (see Fig. 3). This Figure also shows the manner in which the covers when not in use are nested and it will be apparent that a large number thereof may be packed in a limited space while, furthermore, the danger of, said covers scratching one another is minimized as the only point of contact is that between the edge of one rim thereof and the bottom of the superposed one.

It will be obvious that the annular rim need not be continuous so long as there is sufficient support for the bottom of the plate; thus in Fig. 4 portions of the rim are cut away or said rim is formed withopenings 10 which also facilitate the draining away of water from inside said rim when cleaning the covers.

Fig. 5. shows a cover having lugs each formed with two hooks the inner of which is for use with a small plate and the outer for a large plate.

Fig. 6 shows how a plate may be placed between two covers, the lower one of which is inverted and adapted to contain hot water by which means t e contents of the plate l may be kept warm for a considerable period.

It will be readily understood that by inverting a cover as shown in Fig. 6 that same may be used as a dish.

Fig. 7 shows a cover formed with a flared rim 11 which affords a good seat for the convex bottom 9 of a plate.

Having now particularly described and as- 11 wardly over the edge of the lower edge to space the said edge of the cover 1 certained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is,

1. A cover for lates and dishes having a l set of lugs extend in edge of the cover, and a rim projecting upwardly from the convex side of the body.

5'. A cover for plates and dishes comprising g downwardly below its 1 a body flared outwardly towards the bottom edge and formed with a substantially fiat top, above a support and adapted to project outa rim extending upwardly from the top of late or dish to the body, and a set of lugs projecting below the bottom edge of the body and serving to support the latter with its bottom edge removed from the table or other support.

6. A cover for plates and dishes comprising a a hollow body approximately concavo-concenter and retain the cover t ereon.

2. A cover for plates and dishes having a i lurality of lugs projecting downwardly beow the plate engaging edge thereof to provide spaced supports for the cover and adapted to project outwardly over the edge of the i, vex, plate or dish to retain the cover thereon, and flat top, and the lower peripheral rim or edge provided with an upwardly extending rim on being adapted to engage a plate or dish, and a the upper portion of the cover. plate sup orting rim extending upwardly 3. A cover for plates and dishes having from the at top of the cover, the rim being lugs projecting laterally from the plate ensubstantially conical and having its smaller gaging edge thereof and adapted to cooperl end attached directly to the fiat top of the ate with the periphery of a plate, and sup 1 cover. plemental hooks on the lugs projecting out- E In testimony whereof I have hereunto set wardly and downwardly beyond the periphmy hand in presence of two subscribing witerial edgedoiil thefcplririer for accommodating Z nesses. p ates or is es 0 erent sizes. 4. A cover for plates and dishes comprising FRANK STAINES' a body of substantially concavo convex form 5 Witnesses:

having lugs projecting radially from its pe- EDWARD NEEDHAM WATERS, ripheral edge, the lugs being provided with WILLIAM HERBERT WATERS.

downturned hooks extending below the said the convex side having a substantially. 

